Illinois 5k Race Recap

The last 3 years I have participated in the Illinois 5k.  It's a nice change of pace to have an evening race.  In previous years the race was at 6 p.m.  This year they changed it to start at 7:30 p.m.  I have mixed feelings on that.  Again, nice to have something different, but it made it hard to balance the evenings activities like eating supper and/or getting back to hotel to relax and re-load for the next day.

For example, it was not ideal to be pigging out carbo loading right before the race, but waiting until after 8 to eat was no better.  I did a little of both.  By supper time my girlfriends were all in town and we headed to Olive Garden for supper at 5 p.m.  I ate, but not too much.  Mostly loaded up on salad & bread sticks.  When my meal came (3 cheese ravioli topped with shrimp)  I took about 4 bites then asked for a to go box.  I went to the race and then when I was done & back at the hotel I finished eating.

Since it was my bright idea to run this race I had to deal with all the scheduling.  It was worth it in many ways.  It's a fun race with close to 6,000 participants.  I know I should take it as a fun, easy warm up run leading up to my marathon.  I can't seem to ever take it easy when it comes to a race.  Something in me flips on and I am in full race mode.  Besides the faster I run, the faster the race is over so there is always motivation to hurry and get it done.

At the beginning of the race they have pace corrals for you to line up according to.  I like this idea, it helps me know where to stand.  Although I know it never fails that people can & will line up in the wrong corral.  I know you can't judge a book by it's cover, but I look at some people (mostly kids) and think "ok, honey, are you REALLY going to run a 6-7 minute pace?"  Sure, people may look at me and think the same thing, but I'm not a kid and to me that makes a difference.  There was literally 2 dozen or so kids, as in appearing to be under the age 13, who crowded the start line.  I take point in this because those kids start out at an all out sprint and then stop or die down real quick which then blocks me or keeps me from keeping pace.  I saw more than one kid take off then come to a very slow jog and turn around, almost as if looking for a parent or something.  I about slammed into more than one of them.  Almost tripped over another.  I'm all for running just to have fun and not taking every race so seriously, but I don't want to be pushing kids or yelling at them.  Simply put, they should not be allowed to run in the front corrals.  I know it happens on all levels.  My friend Charles started well in the back of the pack and told of  several walkers who blocked his path & kept him from running at good pace because they started in a faster coral than they should have.  I know there is no easy answer for this.  Just expressing my thoughts.  Anyway....

I didn't pay any attention to the race course before hand.  This was my 3rd year running this, I thought I had it all figured out.  What I failed to realize is they changed the course.  Aside from a few minor changes in a nutshell the mainly flipped the course & we ran it backwards.  I didn't have that completely figured out until we finished so that threw me for a loop.  They also do not provide mile splits so I had no clue how fast I was/wasn't running.  I didn't see any mile markers either.  I'm really bad at judging distance and pace and since I wasn't running with anyone I knew I had no clue how to gauge how I was doing (Dietrich where are you when I need you?!?!).  So I just had to run at what felt like race pace.  I kept thinking it's only 3 miles, it can't take forever, even if I'm going at a slower pace.

When I hit the field I could see the clock and it showed 20 something.  Sweet!  For the first time ever I'm hitting times under 21 minutes and that is my main goal.  Not wanting to see the clock turn 21 I bumped it up a notch and finished strong and hard.  My chip finish time was 20:54.  Not a PR, but I'm not complaining.  I'm happy & I'll take it!!

Here are my stats for the race:
Placed 91st out of 5,998 finishers
Placed 15th out of 3,805 women
Placed 1st out of 492 women in my age group of 35-39
(I'll be receiving my age group award in the mail in a few weeks)

Here is the picture I took before the race started:

I wore my Muscatine Running Friend t-shirt to race in.  I *never* race in cotton t.  Bleck!  I forgot to pack my singlet (which has the same design) and really wanted to represent MRF so I sucked it up and just wore the t shirt.  It was only for 3 miles.   It wasn't going to kill me.

After I finished:

You can't see them in the picture, but I had these really cute red, white & blue flag knee high socks on.  I received a lot of compliments on them.

Here is the shirt and medal I received:

Ah, yes....I REALLY wanted an Illini orange shirt to add to my collection.  Said no Iowa Hawkeye runner EVER.  Ha-ha.  Ok, I am actually very fond of this race and even the school (just a little), but let's not get all crazy and declare me an Illini fan.  It's a very nice tech shirt that I will turn into a running shirt (meaning I cut the sleeves off).

I'm up in the air if I will run the 5k next year or not.  I tend to stick to races that I like, even if there are some aspects of the race (in this case the late start and kids that crowd the start) that I don't like.  For this year it was another success and I'm glad to have done it!

Stay tuned for my marathon recap tomorrow!

Weekend Rewind

I had every single intention of blogging on Friday.  I packed my laptop, had plenty of car time of just sitting with NO kids.  Plus hotel time and just plain downtime, so I had planned to post my marathon goals in Friday's post.  However, my ride came much later than expected (which didn't effect my ride time, but meant more unexpected time waiting) and once I was on the road I couldn't get my laptop to turn on at all.  Well, so much for getting that done.  But, I really REALLY wanted to post marathon goals, so I am going to today and then spend the next few days giving you race recaps.

I promise, promise that none of the events that have already happened will affect what I was going to post on Friday.  Also keep in mind, that the events of Boston have not changed my goals at all.  I stated at the beginning of the month what some of my goals were.  The Boston events certainly added fuel to the fire, but I already had these goals set in place.

On Friday night I ran the Illinois 5k.  I wasn't planning to do full goals for that race.  Even though I had just set a pr (personal record) the weekend before on my 5k time I already wanted to try and break that record.  Simply put my goal was to pr if I could, but otherwise have a fun, enjoyable race.  After all I had a marathon to run the next day.

On Saturday I ran the Illnois Marathon.  That's 26.2 miles for those who don't know.  And yes, you would be surprised how many people don't know that is what a marathon is.  I have a lot of people ask me about a marathon I ran, etc. only to realize they are actually referring to a 5k that I just ran.  It's quite humorous at times.  Anyway, here are my goals for this marathon:

My I FINISHED goal:
To arrive on time. To start. To finish.  aka: Finish Feeling Fine & having Fun.  This is not my first marathon, I am more than capable of this.  However, in the event that something were to go wrong I at least want this goal to be reached.

My I CAN goal:
Finish in under 3 hours 54 minutes.  That is what I ran last year at this same marathon.  Last year I was injured and severely under trained, but ran anyway.  This year I know I am not injured and have had several months of excellent running (not sure I want to say training, I don't really train per say....I just run).  Running anything lower than this would also be a PR based on the difference in this year vs. last I knew this was going to be easy to do.

My I LOVE IT goal:
To run a BQ (Boston qualifying) time.  For those who don't know, in order to run the Boston Marathon you must run a qualifying time to be able to register.  It's based on age and gender.  For me I had to run no slower than a 3:40 time.  I was very confident I could reach this goal with some ease.  Not saying it's going to be easy, it IS still 26.2 miles.  Based on other recent race times and my running condition I knew this was extremely possible.  Whether or not I actually ever go and run the Boston Marathon is a completely different subject, but it's an accomplishment in and of itself to be able to say you have met that guideline and qualified to run that race.

My I DREAM IT goal:  To finish between 3:20 - 3:30.  If I have to squeak in on the Boston time and run a 3:39:59 I will be happy and love it.  Even better I know I'm capable of more than that so I'm shooting for faster than that basic BQ standard.  Based on my most recent half marathon time, if I simply double that I should be able to run a 3:20 time.  Of course you are suppose to factor in the fact that the longer you go the slower pace you are likely to have.  While my last half marathon had some hills, this marathon is flat.  That can make a difference, so can the weather and other factors like how I feel and how my body responds.  Little things here and there can make or break a race.  I'm not afraid to dream big though so I'm shooting for this lower time and a marathon time I have never ran before.  I CAN DO IT!



Stay tuned for my race recaps in the next few days!

Three Things Thursday

~Howl at the Moon  On Monday registration opened for Howl at the Moon an 8 hour ultra that I have done the last 3 years.  It is by far my favorite race of the year.  The event always sells out within a month.  This year it might be even sooner.  It was posted that after 2 days the event is over half full.  One reason I really love this event is that even though you are racing with 299 other people it really is an individual race.  You are running/walking as much as you can for 8 hours.  Instead of a set distance you are just going against the clock & your own abilities.  Just about every person who does this race is a winner in their own right.  Yes they award & recognize those that go the furthest, having done this race 3 times I have always felt like a winner because each year I have accomplished something new and reached a new level of running.  That is what winning is really about!  If you are interested in doing this race (yes, you ARE capable) you can register here.  If you have any further questions about the event, feel free to ask me or look up previous posts where I gave in dept race reviews. Either way, don't miss out on the best event!!  Sign up for Howl at the Moon!!!!

~Mile 22 bag  Last December I joined a Twitter party.  It was my first party.  I wasn't 100% sure what I was doing, but I joined in the fun and even won a prize in the process.  Average Moms Wear Capes was the host of the party and gave out a fabulous prize from Mile 22 Bags.  Not too long before that I had read a blog review of their product.  I was in love with the product idea, but not so in love with the prices I saw listed.  I don't say that to be a negative reflection on the company, it's just not what I would spend on a bag.  At least not one of the big bags.  I'm reconsidering a small bag in the near future.  To get a bag of substance I personally would not pay $150+.  I put it on my list of in your dreams items and forgot about it.  Until I won the prize from the party.  I was SO EXCITED!!!!  Even better I could use the prize to pick ANY bag I wanted.  Ummmmm, hello $150+ bag!!!!  Due to the holidays and then our vacation it took me awhile to get things together for the bag.  The company was very understanding and didn't pressure me to claim my prize right away.  Once I got things together & sent it off it was still a 4-6 week wait.  Yesterday my package came and I was beyond excited.  I snapped a few pictures and made a video talking about the bag too.

~Mommy Matters I turned into a Momma Bear yesterday.  My 7 year old son came home and told me a bully had punched him in the eye.  Whoa!  What?!?!!?  Get me that boy, I'll teach him a lesson or two!!!!  To back up, this boy, a 4th grader, had been verbally bullying my son, a 1st grader, last fall.  It never happened at school, but on the way home while they were walking.  When it first happened my son did tell a teacher about it and they talked with the boy and everything stopped.  Phew!  Last week my son mentioned that this same boy had punched him when he rode by on his bike, again while coming home from school.  By time my son told me it had happened over a week ago.  I talked to my son about what to do if something happens again.  Sure enough. he came home & told me right away.  His eye was a little pink looking, but nothing massive.  No big black & blue spot.  I called a neighbor because her kids were also walking home from school.  They didn't see the actual punch happen, but the did verify that something did happen and that Andrew came running up to them upset that he had just been hit.  Even though I wanted to go hunt this child down myself I remained about as calm as I could and got on the phone right away with the school and talked to the principal.  I am very thankful that they are willing to deal with the situation even though it's not happening on school property.  Yes, it's tempting to go straight to the parents myself.  I don't know them, but they live on our street, just on the other end.  It's also tempting to just call the police, I know several officers, not to mention the police chief personally.  This boys behavior will not be tolerated.  Sure, I could also pick up my son every single day and escort him home or even better yet drive him home and out of harms way.  That's not going to stop this kid from being a bully and picking on someone else.  My son should be able to walk home and not worry/fear being beat up by one of his schoolmates.  I started with the school first, they are willing to bring the boy in and talk to him about his behavior and let him know it will not be tolerated.  If something happens again, you bet we'll be taking a more drastic measure to put a stop to this.

My Andrew boy!  He's not always perfect & innocent himself, but he's a good kid who doesn't deserve to be bullied.  No one deserves to be bullied!!

5k for Life Race Recap

Last Saturday I raced Costa's 5k for Life put on by our local Catholic school.  This race was being held for the first time.  As the name says the race was is support of Right to Life.  I'm not looking for a debate or to stir a controversy on my blog, but I do want to state that I am a firm 100% supporter of Right to Life.  That's not why I ran the race though, but it's always nice to see something that I run in support of something that I believe in.

As expressed last week I was hoping for a 5k PR.  It has proven to be a PR year for me so why not keep it rolling in the right direction.  However last week and now this week I have also been "tapering" in preparation for my marathon this weekend.  And as I stated earlier in the month, my marathon IS top priority not all these prs.  Not going to lie though, it's been a pretty awesome month achieving both.  Anyway being in "taper" mindset means I'm taking it easy.  My mileage & pace is down and I'm being very nonchalant about running in general.  That leaves me feeling "lazy" (I fully realize that my lazy puts a lot of people to shame) and it almost feels like I'm losing all my mojo.

That all makes sense when on race morning I laid in my bed wanting to stay there & just be warm.  I told myself, I can run later, right.  When it's warmer and sunnier (I know, not a word....whatev...).  There's no need to really race this race, I could just run or maybe not go at all (although I have never registered for a race and not gone, the idea does cross my mind).  Ok, but then I knew I'd hate myself for not going so I got moving and out the door.

The mind is funny thing, you know.  I step out of my car and have two feelings.  I either think people are looking at me and thinking "who does she think she is, sporting this running look and Boston bib....she's probably a slow wanna be."  OR they are like "oh my goodness, who is that?  she kind of looks like Kara Goucher, I'm sure she's a rockstar who will blow us all away."  Either way I always feel like people are looking at me.  Probably sounds conceited to think that.  I'm sure I'm guilty of checking people out too and not realizing how my looks are being received.  Anyway, I felt weird and out of place until I saw some friendly faces.  Since I was being "lazy" that morning I didn't get there super early and after a brief .5 mile warm up the race was getting ready to start.

I did have a short conversation with some other runners.  The cross country coach from Carl Sandburg College approached me to chat.  He kindly flattered me by saying I was the fastest person he had seen so far today.  While I had not seen everyone that would be racing I did see a lot of young whipper snappers milling around.  In my mind that was my competition, some young, youthful, full of energy and speed kid.  I can train all I want, but there are somethings I can't control, like my age or the affects of giving birth 6 times.  Things that kids half my age don't have against them.  Anyway, said coach also asked me if I had ever been overall winner before.  I paused, slightly puzzled.  He knew my running well enough to know that I have been the overall female winner several times of many different races.  Why was he asking me that?  Before I could scoff and say "uhhh, of course", he clarified and asked if I had ever been overall winner of everyone, including men.  Oh!  Well, that would be no.  I've been 2nd and 3rd, but never 1st over everyone.  He thought maybe today would be my day, but I knew there was at least one person that would give me a run for that spot.  That would be a friend, Dietrich, who I describe as quiet, but deadly.  He's got some speed!

One thing I love about the race atmosphere is that I can't ever produce that energy, excitement and competitiveness in myself, except in the actual moment of the race.  My training paces are nothing compared to what I race and vice versa.  Something in me turns on and while yes all that training meant something it means nothing compared to what I am truly capable of doing.

When the gun went off I had about 1 minute of "all these kids are going to kick my butt" when they all surged to the front and took off.  It didn't take too long for them to die out and fall in behind me & the top male.  I could feel myself pushing, but I don't think it was all out.  The top male (my friend Dietrich) and I stuck together for quite awhile.  We passed the 1 mile mark at 6:28.  I was a little stunned and confused.  I asked my friend "did they say 48 or 28?"  Yes, 20 seconds makes a huge difference.  While I felt great my first thought was if I can keep this pace the whole race.  I'd love to, but I knew I had to take things one moment at a time.  I still kept pace with my friend then felt myself slow a little bit after a mile and half.  He pulled ahead, but only by about 10 seconds.  I passed the 2 mile mark in 13:14  Again, a time I'm not used to hearing.  13:30 - 14, yes, but I don't think I've ever had that fast of a 2 mile split.  Ok, 1 more mile....hang on.  I still felt myself fading a little bit.  The lead runner got a little bit further away.  I was a little ticked that I didn't keep up my pace, but yet I was ahead of pace for a PR so I wasn't getting too upset yet.  Even though I slowed I still held on pretty good and finished with a 20:41 time.  That was a :22 second PR (I looked up my exact previous pr and it was 21:03, not 21 as I previously stated).

Yes, I could have raced better.  Yes, I need to work on maintaining pace.  I was very excited for how well I did run and finished.  I can't argue with all the positive and good that did happen and most of all the improvement I made.  It was a local 5k with 82 runners, not the Olympics.  A win is a win and a PR is a PR.  I am a freaking rock star!!!!

Many people there that day had a great race!  I know it's not always about the top finishers and the top time.  Seeing others finish and cheering them on is very satisfying!!  While waiting around for the awards to be handed out, my friend Dietrich came up to me with big bug eyes and said in a hushed tone with disbelief "Is THAT our trophy" referring to the big things sitting on the table.  How he said it was so funny!  Well, of course the big things go to the top finishers.  He then asked if I had driven to the race.  I was confused until he told me that he had ran to the race and was planning to run home too.  Sure he figured he'd have some medal or trophy he could fit in his hand on his run home.  He wasn't expecting something so big to lug almost 5 miles back.  While I thought it would be hilarious if he actually did run home going through town and down several main streets I assured him I would take his trophy for him and get it to him later.

Pictured with Dietrich.

 I'm racing another 5k this Friday night.  Not sure I'll do goals for that race, especially since I'm really focused on my marathon.  I know myself enough though that I'm super competitive and toeing the line will turn something on in me that I can't control.  Yes, I'm already wondering if can improve on my just earned PR.

A little rambling

It's been an unusual week.  There is so much going on in our nation right now and even locally there has been a lot of happenings with 2 kids dying and a massive storm that has flooded our area & wreaked havoc on people in many different ways.  After Monday I went back to putting my blinders on with all the media and non stop talk about Boston and then Waco.  It's not that I don't care.  If anything it's the opposite, I care too much and just can't deal with it all.  I see enough as it is just by being on the internet and facebook.  Even with the latest breaking events I'm not seeking out specific media.  Not turning on the tv or radio.  My heart bleeds enough as it is, no need to add fuel to that fire.

So, I'm doing my best to carry on in my little corner of the world.  Which means the usual normalcy of my life.  Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning.....oh and more cleaning.  I'm kidding, of sorts, although I do clean a lot.  As being echoed all around I refuse to stop my life and live in fear.  Life continues on the best it can.  While emotionally the events of the week have impacted me, in a practical sense it doesn't.  It's reasonable to stop and reflect and give deep thought, but so far I've been extremely fortune that nothing has disrupted my personal life.

My running has been kinda iffy lately.  I guess that's ok.  I should be tapering.  Since I don't follow any kind of plan I just do whatever.  Last Sunday I did get in a long run with my running partner.  We were planning on 20 miles, but I had to stop after 18.5 miles.  Just ran out of time.  I wanted to go to church that morning and I had to bustle home, shower and head to worship God.  It's tough doing a long run on Sundays and I don't like rushing or cramming a run in the morning.  We thought we had plenty of time to get it done, but the wind picked up leaving the last 4ish miles slow and painful.  Add in a slower pace to keep with my RP and her need to add walk breaks.  Oh and the dog that came out, chased us down the road and scared the daylights out of me.  Lots of factors and we just ran short on time.  I still consider it a successful long run, which I almost didn't run until RP reminded me that we should do one.  Oh yeah....good idea.  Sometimes I crack myself up with my lah-te-dah training.  Whatever, it works for me.  So while I want to run more miles right now I'm holding back and fill my time with extra cleaning and what not to pre-occupy myself.  I have a marathon in one week!!!!  Eeek!!

Tomorrow I am racing a local 5k.  So far, every race I have run this year has been a PR for me.  My 5k pr is kind of dated.  2009, I believe was when I set that.  It's currently 21:00 flat.  I race 5ks more frequently than anything else.  Almost every time I toe the line I wonder if I'll have that bust out gliding on air race and just cream that previous time.  I know I sound like a broken record, but my running is better than ever.  Perhaps self evident by my race times so far this year.  I know time is only one indicator of running, but other factors are currently strong and supportive of my training as well.

I don't have time to break out the while pre-race goals.  I promised (baby) Carmen that I would come to her preschool sing along this afternoon.  After that it all hits the fan with kids coming home and my attention being diverted to them.  You may or not have ever noticed, but if I don't get a post done by 3 p.m. or so I don't do one at all for the day.  I don't hold to that 100%, but it's often true.  Anyway, my pre-race goal: break that PR.  I can do it!

Have a great weekend!!  I'll report soon on my 5k that I race tomorrow!!

What are your weekend plans?  Are you racing?

Silence for Boston

I'm not sure if you noticed that I had stopped doing Tuesday's Tunes.  I've gone through phases on my blog where I have a specific theme for a specific day.  I don't hold to it 100%, but often it gives me guidance for what to post.  I had stopped doing it recently because I had been frequently running with my running partner and I never listen to music when with her.  We pretty much talk non stop the whole time, so what's the point of music.

Unless you live under a complete rock, runner or not, I'm sure you've heard about the bombings at Boston yesterday.  Normally I don't pay too much attention to media when bad/negative things happen.  Actually I don't pay much attention to media at all unless it involves running, but even then I can only take in so much.  I miss media happenings ALL the time.  I have my own little world to worry about, I can't track every thing that happens to everyone.  Running or not.  Regardless of the situation I'm not much of media person, especially when it's tragic.  I'm a super emotional, get attached person.  The news is hard and rough for me to process.  I will sit there and just bawl, even if the events have nothing to do with me or my life.

I headed out for a run yesterday about mid afternoon.  I always run with my phone, but don't normally attend to texts or phone calls.  It can wait!  For awhile it was a really great run.  What made it so great was the rain.  It wasn't raining when I started, but picked up about half way through.  I was happier than a pig in mud with the 60 degree temps and warm rain coming down.  Even as it pelted me in the face it felt so wonderfully awesome!  I know I had a lot on my mind as I ran, I'm always full of prayers, thoughts, ideas, etc.  I know I was dreaming of Boston.  Thinking about it, hoping & planning to be there next year (or the near future).  After having watched the elite race that morning and I was all excited about it, it helped fuel my passion for wanting to run what is considered the greatest race of all.

I noticed that I had been receiving several texts during my run.  I still ignored them.  Then I got a phone call.  Ignore.  (By ignore I mean, I hear my ringtone for either a text or call and just let it ring.  I don't see who is calling or what they have to say, etc.  I just keep running)  Can this woman not run in peace & be left alone for just a teeny bit of her day?!?!?!  Finally after another phone call I gave in and answered my phone, who could possibly be calling and texting me SO much.  Turns out to be my husband.  Yes, I will admit I completely rolled my eyes.  He was calling to tell me about the Boston bombings.  I had a hard time processing what he was even trying to tell me.  Boston marathon + bombing do not make sense at all.  Maybe he was mistaken, heard the news wrong, etc.  I will still a mile from home so I hurried home and rushed into the house to turn on the t.v.  My mind was not only on the runners, but also the volunteers, & spectators.  While I knew of a lot of people running that day, I didn't know anyone very close or personally.  A childhood friend & neighbor who lives in Boston and said she was going to watch the race was the closest person that kept coming to mind about who was there and could possibly be affected.  While she reported that she was only a few blocks away when the bombs went off and had at one point been much closer to the location of the first bomb, she is OK!  Thank goodness for Facebook to check on these things quickly.  Cindy, I am SO GLAD you are ok!!  There are, of course, many other stories.  A tough chik  team mate had slowed down the last half of her marathon.  She was right down the street when the bombs went off.  If she had been a minute faster she would have been much closer or at the spot of the bombs.  I know the list and stories are endless.

While I typically steer clear of media I was glued to the t.v.  I cried, I grieved, I got mad, I felt crushed, I felt personally attacked.  The feelings are endless.  My kids were coming home from school wondering what was going on.  They even seemed puzzled that I was upset.  It's not like I was there.  I had to explain that it still affects me, it affect all of the running community.  Later in the evening I started to feel sick.  I ended up staying in bed most of the night.  It all literally made me ill.

The immediate response from the rest of the running community is what can we do?  Many are running in race shirts today.  Wearing yellow & blue.  Running a mile of silence.  Running in the shape of B through their town.  Virtual runs are being formed.    The list goes on and on.  You know we will not stand silent to these attacks.  For most it fuels the fire.  We will still run.  We will not hide in fear.  We will still hope and dream of Boston, even if we never qualify.  The spirit and community of running is strong and fierce!

This morning I set out on a 4 mile run in the dark streets of my town.  I was not with my running partner.  I was alone.  The perfect reason for some music to keep me company or distract, maybe comfort me.  Instead I ran in silence.  4 miles of silence for Boston and the tragic events that unfolded yesterday.  It actually opened a whole bag of emotions for me as I prayed and thought through many things in my life right now, even things having nothing to do with Boston or running.  I needed it to help me process and heal through this all.  Between that, not watching the tv/news and blogging about it I plan to keep my chin up and keep on running.

CSC Race Recap

*Note from my previous post.  Go figure.  I finally unglue myself from the computer to take my daughter to swimming and the race completely changed.  I was unable to get the video feed on my phone so I had to rely on a Twitter feed for updates.  I was pacing & apprehensive as I trying to keep up with the constant changes and drama the unfolded to the finish line.  Talk about ahhhhhh!!!!

Well, what can you do?  Life goes on and I'll go back & watch the video later.  Neither American won and the single widowed mom faded out, but they were still inspiring and still top notch on my list.  The thing about running is not always about who crossed the finish line first.  I'm happy for those that do and it's even better when it's someone I'm cheering for.  Finishing 4th or 6th or whatever place doesn't matter.  They are still #1 to me!

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Last Saturday I ran the Carl Sandburg College Charger Challenge 2 mile race.  I really wanted to PR on this race regardless of who I was or wasn't against.  It was me vs. the clock, that's it.

I felt confident that I would do well, but race morning my timing was a little off and instead of having a lot of pre race time to warm up, get ready, etc. I was rushed.  I *hate* that feeling!  I also felt torn in a few directions as I had my son, my students, my running partner and many other running friends who were all there to race.  I wanted to give them each their own attention, but also just wanted to focus on me.  I knew I had to be on my A game to pull a PR.

Once the race got underway I took off.  I'm completely fine with spending my time before and after with other people, but once that gun goes off I am in my own world and I am not taking anyone else along for the ride.  I led the women from the get go.  It wasn't an all out sprint from the beginning, but I was really pushing it.  I refused to play catch up if it was because of my taking it easy.

I had 2 things working against me.  Wind and hills.  In my pre-race goals I mentioned my recent interval training of 6/6:30 pace.  Being that those have been done on a treadmill I definitely don't have any wind resistance and my hills are none except the .5 elevation I put on the machine.  Nothing compared to the hills I faced out on the race course.  There was also plenty of flat areas, so it wasn't all hills.  Enough that I could feel myself slow down as I worked up the first big hill which came right before the mile turn around.  My first mile split was 6:44.  Very neutral feeling as I heard that time.  Would have loved to hear 6:30, but I was glad that it was well under 7 minutes.

Coming back I had another minor hill that was much easier than the first one and the wind was to my back.  Now it was up to me to keep my pace going and finish strong.  A few times I did have that slight feeling of being done, but I still pushed especially as I got closer to finish.  I remember thinking about giving everything I had until I crossed the line.  While I certainly hoped for 13:30, I was not disappointed at all to cross the line at 13:40.  Another PR!!!!  I was the 1st female to finish (out of 47) and 4th overall (out of 66).

I looped back out to watch my son, friends and students come up along the course.  I also wanted to log a few more miles for my run for the day.  I walked some, especially the last part as one of my students had rolled her ankle and needed some personal support to even finish.  Seeing her cross the finish line was a great accomplishment!

Afterwards at the award ceremony was relaxing and rewarding as well.  Not because I received ANOTHER trophy, but just to sit back and enjoy the company of my friends and other racers.  That's always a bonus to an already great race!

 Hanging with some good friends:  Angela (my running partner), Julia & Kimmie

My son received 1st in his age group.  He was insisting on pucking up and making the duck face (which I can't stand) and I was trying to prevent him from doing it.  After my friend snapped the picture she laughed and said "now that is a keeper".

Watching Boston

As I type I'm watching the Boston Marathon.  This is the first year I have found it streamed live online.  I am, of course, super excited.  Watching any race has always been exciting for me.  It gets my heart racing, my thoughts and feelings turning.  This year the focus has seemed to be on the American women, Shalane Flanagan and Kara Goucher.  Two of my favorite runners.  So far neither one is making much of a showing.  That's neither good or bad.  Regardless of how they finish, they will remain my favorite runners.

Since the race is underway I'm beginning to cheer more for Yolanda Caballero.  They've told the story of how her husband died last year and she is now a single mom.  Yet, she has risen above those obstacles and is leading the race.  Or was for a good portion of the race.  Now Ana Dulce Felix from Portugal has made a big move and surged ahead.  If you are an avid runner and able to track this race, none of this is news to you.  By time you even read this the race will be done and over, the winners already known.

My intent when I sat down this morning was to watch this race AND get my blogging done for the day.  However I've done some more watching than typing and I'm not even going to get to my race recap.  My plans have changed mid post.  I'll plan to come back and do my race recap this afternoon.  For now, I have to go take Carmen to swim lesson.  Just going to be honest and admit that I don't want to.  I want to sit here and not move until the race is over.  I'll have my phone glued to my hand though and still track the race as much as I can.

We'll see what happens and I'll be back to post later on!!

Are you/did you watch the Boston marathon today?

Pre-Race Goals

Tomorrow I will run the Carl Sandburg College Charger Challenge 2 mile race.  This is a race that I have done several times.  This year will make my 11th year.  After last years race I wrote up this big race report.   It goes into detail about why I choose the 2 mile over the 4 mile option and also gives my full history with this race.  In case you don't want to go read all that, let me give you a brief synopsis:

Ran 10 x's
Fastest: 13:49
Slowest 14:56
If I didn't place 1st overall, then I'm second overall.

So, what are my goals for this race?

My I FINISHED goal:
To arrive on time. To start. To finish.
aka: Finish Feeling Fine & having Fun

My I CAN goal:
Finish in under 14:00

I am very capable of 7 minute miles.  I don't run them often, but recently after some mile repeats I know I can do this with ease.  It's not an all out effort, but really putting some thought & speed into it.

My I LOVE IT goal:
To beat my PR which is currently 13:49 that was set last year.  Anytime I can improve on a previous time makes me very happy!

 

My I DREAM IT goal:
Once upon a time I used to run 5 minute miles.  No, it was not in my jr. high or high school years.  Long story short, I was just average in those years.  When I was in the Army I had a drill sergeant or two who saw something in me.  Something that I never saw and they pushed my limits.  They made me run with the guys group.  Hence my 5 minutes miles.  More recently though I happen to know I am capable of 6/6:30 minute miles.  Only on a treadmill though when I'm doing mile intervals.  My hopes would be that that training will carry over onto the road and my own doing.  It NEVER hurts to dream so I would love to run a 13 or 13:30 race tomorrow.

The biggest thing I need to remember is that I'm racing against myself and the clock.  This is a small race.  In gender terms I have little to no competition.  Even when you factor in the boys/men there still isn't much to race against.  Sometimes it helps to have that visual, that person to keep up with, to pass at the end, etc.  Nothing wrong with that, but tomorrow I want to go out and beat my own butt.  I want to cream myself.  I know, it's only 2 miles, but I want to run and finish with every ounce of speed I have in my body.  I have so much to give and I want to leave it all out there on the road.

Three Things Thursday: Vlog, Tired and introducing MM

~Vlog~
I made a vlog to post yesterday.  I did!  Except my camera wouldn't cooperate with the uploading and it took hours and eventually I quit messing with it.  Then I worked on it again today, because I was going to still link it, but when you view it on my youtube channel there is no audio.  This happened last week on my family youtube channel.  The raw file on my computer works and sounds just fine, but when I load it to youtube, no sound?!?!?  It wasn't some fantastic earth shattering video that I made yesterday and I'm just not in the mood to mess with it so for now it's just going to sit there.

~Tired~
I will tell you that what I vlogged about was how tired I was.  Like, no energy, totally blah, not feeling my best tired.  Let's face it, I'm tired 99% of the time...I have a busy and demanding life.  For the most part I can handle it, but yesterday and now today it's different.  Yesterday I tried to push through and act like it was no big deal.  I still went through the motions of a full workout.  I cut myself a little slack, but not much.  There was no joy or energy in any of it.  It didn't help that I was up late last night, but it's not like I was falling asleep with ease either.  I had a bit on insomnia.  Very unusual for me.  So far today I'm listening to my body.  Even though my alarm was set for a 5 a.m. run, I slept in until 5:30 before I had to get up and teach class.  Aside from that I haven't gotten too much work done.  I even gave in and took a nap.  I don't normally nap, especially not in the morning hours and if I do then typically a short 20 minutes does me wonders.  Nope this was a deep & heavily drooling on my pillow sleep.  I feel a little better, but I'm still dragging.  Of course, I will still head out for a run this afternoon.  Basic, easy 2 miles.  Nothing more, nothing less.

~Mommy Matters~
I have a family blog that I started many years ago.  I used to put my blogging heart and soul into it before you all came along and won my attention.  I slowly stopped posting on that blog.  Don't worry, it felt right with the timing of certain other life events.  I do sometimes miss posting about my family so much....but yet I don't think it justifies keeping that blog alive.  So I wanted to incorporate some of it on here.  I promise not to constantly rant and rave and post a million pictures of my kids.  Not that that is a bad thing, but it's not the focus of this blog.  As I mentioned last week though that running is the primary focus BUT it wouldn't be She Runs Everywhere and I wouldn't be 6packmomma if it wasn't for my life as a mommy.  So it's hard to ignore one without the other.  One is just as much a part of me as the other.

So I plan to sprinkle in a little more of my life into my blog.  Off the top of my head maybe it will be just once a week with this little section called Mommy Matters.  I wasn't planning that, it just happened and makes sense.  Sometimes that is just how things work out.  We'll see how it goes.

I wanted to share this picture of my oldest.  She is a Gadet for her local high school.  They dance...NOT cheer.  Big difference!  For the first time in the history of the squad they were picked last summer as the top squad in their class for the state of IL.  That qualified them to compete in the National Dance Competition in Florida amongst all the other top schools in the U.S.  In a nutshell, she's a pretty awesome dancer.  Running, not for her life.  Give that girl some music and she can move like no other.  I'm so proud of her!

Today are tryouts for next years squad.  Being on the squad one year is not a guarantee for all her h.s. years.  She must make the cut every year.  I know she'll do great, but I still get nervous for her.  Just like I get nervous before almost every race.  She may not ever run (I still have hopes for her someday), but she'll give it 100% and that is all I can ask for!

(Photos &  collage by: Debbie McKillip)

Goals

It would be easy to not post today.  I've been having a good productive day.  The last thing I want to do is get "sucked" into the computer.  I've already been on here enough.  Mostly doing things that really need to be done.  Since I did pinky promise to post about my running goals then here I go....

With every race I have many levels of goals that I set.  I've seen it best summed up on the blog It's Just One Foot in Front of the Other.  She puts it in the format of My I FINISHED goal, My I CAN goal, My I LOVE IT goal, My I DREAM IT goal.  My different levels are along those lines.  I hope to start putting that into use for future pre race posts.  Maybe not every race, every time, but definitely some of the big ones that I have big goals & dreams for.

To sum up my month of racing here is a shorter version.  I already stated (after the fact) that for the half marathon I wanted to break my 3 year PR.  Done!  My next three races I'm much more laid back about.  They are just fillers for the next 2 weeks until the marathon.  In theory if these races suck, but I in turn have an awesome marathon then I'm ok with that.  Being super competitive though I don't really want them to suck, especially since they are local ones.  One of them I have won several times as well.  (No pressure Carmen!)  My big focus is at the end of the month with the Illinois Marathon.  That race I WILL post specific goals for.  Big picture/bottom line:  Qualify for Boston.

I've already spent more time than I wanted to on this post today.  Laundry needs to switched over again, supper needs to be started and the sun is peeking through begging for me to come sit in it for awhile.  Look for future posts on my races & goals.  I'll break it all down for you and keep dragging bringing you along while I run everywhere.

Lincoln Presedintal half marathon recap & giveaway winners announced

First things first, right?!?!  Many of you are waiting to see if you won the Lock Lace giveaway.  Of course, I really, REALLY wish I could each of you a pair to try.  I only have 2 to give away, so the two lucky people are listed below.  Please contact me at 6packmomma@gmail.com so I can get your mailing information.  Thank you to everyone who participated!!

On Saturday I raced the Lincoln Presidential half marathon.  I have done this race for 3 years in a row now.  It's fair to say I really like this race as I keep coming back.  In the large spectrum of racing it's a small race with about 1,500 participants.  What they may "lack" in numbers they make up for in so many other areas.  It's still a great race.  The only thing I can see missing is an expo of any kind.  Otherwise everything else about the race matches up with many of the big races I have done.  Plus it's a lot cheaper than any half marathon I have ever done.  Double win.  You get a nice shirt, great medal, excellent course (you go all through Springfield which takes you past Lincoln's home, the state capital building and Lincoln's tomb.  It's nice and scenic through residential and business areas and a few parks.  Sprinkle in a few hills (nothing big and drastic though) and you have yourself a pretty nice course that is well staffed and full of cheering supporters!

I really, REALLY meant to come do a pre-race post to talk about some thoughts & goals  before the race.  I think about these things often, but usually don't get it done due to lack of time.  I will also admit that I'm sometime afraid to put out there what I'd like to accomplish.  I'm afraid to put my dreams out there, because what if I *gasp* fail?!?!  Ha! And you all thought I was just this super awesome fearless go getter.  Well, maybe it's fair to say I'm in between.  I have big hopes and dreams and I'm not afraid to go after them, but I'm also worried, scared, etc. of many things, one of them failure or disappointment....not being able to live up to who I am, etc.  I can likely file it under it's complicated  and/or psychobabble.  However being the pleaser that I am I tend to err on the side of just keeping it to myself, unless someone specifically asks and I sense they really want to know, hear, etc. then....HA!  good luck shutting me up!

Anyway, how about I promise to post tomorrow about those thoughts, dreams, etc.  Especially with so many races coming up I do have a lot in mind.  Tomorrow.  Pink promise!!

Back to the race:  I have been wanting to PR on a half marathon for a long time.  I ran my first half marathon 3 years ago in St. Louis.  I was fairly new to the longer distances, didn't have a real good idea about what I was doing besides um, running.  I can't say I lacked training, but I didn't have a lot in either.  I remember wanting to run St. Louis just to see where I stood in this distance and if I could, in fact, succeed.  I suspected that I could, but had nothing to back that up on.  So 3 years ago I ran my first 13.1 and clocked a 1:45:09.  Not too shabby.  The next two years following that I had less than stellar years with running, training and racing.  In fact a year ago I was struggling big time with my running.  I had re-occurring injuries and pain that left me with little to no running.  I ran anyway and finished in 1:49.  Again, not too shabby.  It was frustrating though  because I felt I had so much more to give and accomplish.  I've said it many times recently that my running is at it's all time best.  I don't think I'm at my all time fastest, but we all know that it's not always about being the fastest to succeed.

When I toed the line this year I told myself my biggest goal was to break that PR.  To go get it, push and keep trying all the way to the very end.  The night before I was so laid back about the whole thing I had myself worried.  What if I had turned into this non-nonchalant runner/racer that could do the distance, but be all laid back about it, etc.  In and of itself that is not a bad thing, but that's so not me.  I am competitive.  I have speed.  I know I have it in me.  Sure sometimes it completely escapes me (hello....Hawkeye 50k) and I have a bad race, but overall I am a go getter.  When I woke up in the morning I had another problem, my back hurt really REALLY bad.  I had to seriously drug myself up on ibuprofen to get moving and out the door.  Once we (hubby ran the race too) hit the road I was beginning to feel the excitement.  Still my back hurt pretty bad so I was unsure of how to run.  Erring one way or another could be a bad mistake.

Once the gun went off I ran to feel.  My back felt ok so I took off at what I thought was an ok pace.  It felt easy and relaxed, but not in a take it easy kind of of way.  The effort came with ease. I felt myself pushing along, not going all out/too fast, but not taking it easy either.  I had my Nike+ gps going, but refused to look at it for pace or time.  It wasn't until I hit the 10k mark that I had any idea how fast I was going.  I crossed the 10k in 47:22, which is a 7:38 pace.  To add to that I felt GREAT!  I only slowed for a little bit when I had some (tmi warning) cramping due to needing to poop and some hills.  Otherwise I felt like I kept my pace up the whole time.  Toward the end it became more of an effort to keep going, but I felt strong the whole time.

Again, I refused to look at my phone to see where I was on time.  I was pretty sure I was closing in on the sign that said 1:40 finish pace and I know I passed about 5 people in my last 2 miles so I had this awesome great feeling even before I rounded the corner and could see the clock.  I finished strong and was on the verge of tear of happiness when I saw that the clock said 1:41.  I did it, I broke my PR!!  Clock time is not the official time since this event is chipped time.  I had to wait for the official times to be posted so I can say my new half marathon PR is 1:40:48.  That's pretty close to 5 minutes off my previous best time!

Next year is the 50 year anniversary of the race.  It promises to be bigger/better and have a new finish line that will end at the old state capital.  I'm already planning and looking forward to do doing it again in 2014.  Maybe I'll set yet another new PR!

Three Things Thursday

~Streaking:  In my March rewind post from yesterday I forgot to look up and report on my current running streak.  I always keep in mind that I started on Memorial Day 2012, but other than calculating at the end of each month to post here I tend to forget about what day I'm on.  Everyone once in awhile I have a person ask me "how many days now?"  I can give them a good estimate, but am not really sure until I sit down and think about it.  A certain person asks me frequently and I recently realized I was getting close to day 300!  I should have celebrate here on my blog, but it fell on a weekend so I didn't get a chance to mention it at the time.  As of yesterday (I haven't run yet today) I have run 311 days in a row.  Barring any extreme circumstances I plan to continue the streak until day 365.  Then....I'm not 100% sure.  In theory I say I should let up and not be so strict about pushing myself on some days, but then again I really like accomplishing something that in many ways should be "impossible" for me to do.  We'll see.

~Race Schedule:  Last Saturday was suppose to start 5 weeks in a row of racing.  My plans changed and I ended up not going to a 5k I was looking forward to.  I did "race" the Jelly Bean virtual 10k, but that was more about getting the distance done than actually racing.  Now, I'm looking at the next 4 Saturdays of various race distances.  They are, in this order: Lincoln Presidential half marathon, Carl Sandburg College Charger Challenge (they offer a 2 & 4 mile race option.  I always go for the 2 since it takes me back to my high school cross country roots and it's the only 2 mile race I do), 5k for Life (new local race) & Christine Clinic Marathon (I am doing the I-Challenge which includes a 5k on Friday night and then the full marathon on Saturday morning).

I have a lot to look forward to this month!

~Mommy Matters:  I know this blog is all about running....yada yada, but it's also built around the fact that I am the mother to 6 children.  Anyone want to guess how old my oldest child is?  (No cheating if you already know this answer).  My oldest is 17 and will be 18 in 5 months.  Yes, I know (!!!!)  I don't look old enough to have a child that age.  Well, of course I must of had her when I was 10 myself *giggle*.  Trust me, I have a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that I am a few months away from my first adult child.  Aaaaaahhhhhhh! 

It threw me for a loop when she asked to go visit a friend in Ohio for spring break.  By herself.  Well, not completely, but with another girlfriend who is only a week younger than her.  My instinct....NO!!!!  Is she crazy?!?!?  OHIO?!??!  2 states and another time zone away?!?!?!  I still have anxiety thinking about it.  Surprisingly it was her daddy that gave me some great perspective on the matter.  She IS almost 18 he reminded me.  What?  She is?  No, no, no, no....she's like 15, right?  *siiiiiigh*

I'm not saying I want my kids to live at home forever.  They need to grow up and get out!  It's the circle of life, I get it.  I don't want her or any of my kids living in the basement while I still cook, clean and fold their laundry when they are 30.  Absolutely not.  I'm in no rush to get them gone either.  It's a tough balance, but even once they are "gone" I want them to stay close to my heart forever.  Which I know they always will be....once a momma, always a momma.  How old they are or where they live will never change that.

I'm so fortunate to have her home for another school year.  Her birthday held her back another year when starting school so she is a junior in school now.  I used to hate that idea, the child is so smart and was ready to start when she was 3, but had to wait until she was 6.  Now on the flip side I'm glad I'm not shipping her off to college this fall.  I have another year to prepare for graduation, which I suspect I will NEVER be ready for.  It's still another year to hang onto my baby girl. 

(Not the best picture, but the most recent one with my Angel.  It was taken in Florida right after she competed in the National Dance Competition with her high school squad)

March Rewind

I'm putting a vlog post on hold so that I can catch up on a few items.  Mostly going back to recap the month of March.  It's quickly slipping away from us and with April being a big, busy month for me I don't want to let it slide any longer.

For the month of March I logged 192.42 miles.  Yes, it was tempting to go on an extra run just so I could round that up to an even 200.  Either way, 192.42 is the highest mileage month that I have ever had.  Yes, it helped that 31 of those miles was in one day for a formal race, but even if you take that away I still hit an all time high.  Yaaaaay!  That brings my yearly total up to 475.82 miles.  I am slightly behind on my miles for Run This Year, but I'm not too worried.

In a nutshell my running is at it's all time best.  At least in terms of miles.  My pace varies greatly.  I can run anywhere from 6 minute intervals to 11 minute I don't think I can take another step recovery runs.  Some runs come with great easy whether I'm trying to push my pace or not and others seems near impossible.  Of course, there is the whole spectrum of training pace vs. race pace, which again can vary depending on distance.  My training pace is always slower than race pace.  That's normal (I think).  I read that you are to do some training runs at race pace, but I don't seem to ever get that done.  Come race day though I know I can turn it on and go at the pace I want or hit an overall time frame that I am shooting for.  For course all this is subject to a lot of other factors.  I can run and train and whatever pace I want, but come race day it can all come together or fall apart.  Overall I just shoot for good solid running.  Yes, I have paces and goals in mind, but I try to focus on the big picture of being out there and getting a good healthy run done.  I don't like to complicate it, I just want to run!!

I'm really looking forward to what April is going to bring.  It's big in terms of racing, which I will touch base on tomorrow.  Racing, or not, I'm still looking forward to what I can put out in terms of miles.  The (oh so slowly) warming temps is going to help a lot.  Keep hanging in there with me while I share my adventures of running everywhere!!

Lock Laces review

Another busy day of not being on the computer.  Lots of laundry has been done, lots of muffins made from scratch have been baked, eaten and the rest put up in the freezer.  Plenty of yelling, scolding and I'm ready to beat this child  "are you serious?" moments with the kids home all day.  Lots of....oh, ok, I did spend time on the computer this morning going through my email inbox.  It was in desperate need of attention.  I can only stand it for so long.  So now it's all cleaned up and good to go for awhile.  I did also take the time (even though it was cold & windy) to sit outside for awhile, basking in the sun while reading a book.  I'm not a total slave driver, although my kids would contest that notion.  And, of course, I took the time to run this morning with my running partner.  We were both tired, a bit grouchy and slow moving, but we got in 5 miles and our little corner of the world was a-ok for awhile.

Still sticking with the plan to give you a review of the Lock Laces..  I had been hearing a lot about this product via the many running blogs that I am addicted to  read and follow.  Everyone was raving about them and giving them away like candy.  I entered many giveaways, but didn't win any. They are not that high priced, but having not tried the product it was hard to spend any money on the product even with the rave reviews I was reading.  Plus I'm cheap thrifty as all get out!!  So I figured it wouldn't hurt to directly ask the company for a pair to review myself and maybe a few to giveaway too.  Lock Laces didn't hesitate to say yes and put them in the mail asap!!  Awesome possum!!

I didn't choose the colors, they picked them for me.  They have many great colors, I would have a hard time choosing anyway.  Even when they came I had serious debate as to which color to try myself.  I decided to pick a color that would best match my shoes.  Plus that left the fun, funky colors to giveaway.  Yes, I am always thinking of you my devoted readers.

I understood the concept of the laces, but it still seemed to take me awhile to get them inserted and figured out.  I had a hard time getting the little nubby things on the end.  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out, but my 12 year old son was awfully helpful.  He quickly pointed out that I was putting them on upside down.  Well, that would explain why I couldn't get them to snap shut.  (Hey, I've never claimed to be the sharpest pencil in the box.)

(One with the Lock Laces, one without)

Once I had them install and fastened I felt snug as a bug and never gave another thought to tightening them again.  They make getting my shoes off and on very simple.  I never had big shoe tying issues before, but I know the all too familiar feeling of my shoes slowing loosening up and needing to be retied to keep them snug and secure feeling.  No more, I'm looking to replace all my shoes with Lock Laces.  My kids are all gaga over them and I've been telling all my friends about them too.  (Today during our run we had to stop twice so rp could tie her shoes, she said "ack!  I need to win a pair of your Lock Laces!!")  I really wish I could have 100s of pairs to give away (I'm such a giver), but you'll have to settle for trying to win 1 of 2 pairs I am giving away here.

 

Thank you Lock Laces for giving me a pair to try, you have me convinced and I'll slowly, but surely be switching all our shoes over to this product.  Of course, I might just need a pair in each color too!!

No Fooling....It's a GIVEAWAY!

Ack! Kids on spring break + Easter weekend has left me with little to no time spent on the computer.  Of course, I have SO MUCH I want to blog about.  I had said last week via Instagram that I had a giveaway coming up and without further delay here it is.

Since I am short on time, it's 9 at night and my kids haven't had supper (no judging, they're not starving) I will postpone the product review and get the giveaway posted.  I promise the full details will come tomorrow! (You can now find it here)  I have up for a giveaway from the super nice company (who supplied these for review and giveaway simply because I asked) Lock Laces.  They sent me 3 pairs and after trying a pair for myself, I have 2 left to give to 2 lucky readers.  Use the rafflecopter form below to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway runs until midnight Sunday, April 7, 2013. I will pick the two winners and post the names on Monday, April 8, 2013.